Sound-box adapter.



A. VASSELLI.

SOUND BOX ADAPTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5. 911

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

&W%I INVENITOR.

BY 0% M ATTORNEYA.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTHONY VASSELLI, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESN'E ASSIGNMENTS, T0 OTTO HEINEMAN PHONOGRAPH SUPPLY (30., INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COB- ]?OBATION OF NEW YORK.

SOUND-BOX ADAPTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

Application filed April 5, 1917. Serial No. 159,874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY VASSELLI, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sound-Box Adapters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices whereby the talking machine may be adapted to play records of the laterally undulating type or records of the hill and valley type and it consists primarily in the tone arm of the usual construction having, at its free extremity a peculiarly shaped connection to which the sound box. may be attached and by which the sound box may be shifted from a position in which a diaphragm lies in the vertical lane to a position in which the plane oi the diaphragm will be at an angle of about 60 degrees to the plane of the record and this without removing the sound box in any way or changing the radial distance between the center of the tone arm pivot and the point of the needle.

In the patent to Catucci No. 1,156,130, dated October 12, 1915, an adapter is disclosed which is designed as an attachment for one of the well known types of talking machines now on the market so that when in use records of the hill and valley type may be played, or by removing the adapter and fastenmg the sound box to the tone arm in the usual manner, records of the laterally undulating type may be layed. In the present invention none of the parts are removed, and it is only necessary to swing the sound box from one position to the other and vice versa to play all styles of records now on the market.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a structure substantially as described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1, is a side elevation of my improvement with a well-known sound box attached thereto and so much of a tone arm as is necessary to illustrate the invention arranged to reproduce records of the hill and valley type.

Fig. 2, is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3, is a side elevation similar to Fig.

1 but showing the sound box arrangement to .play records of the lateral undulating type.

Fig. 4, is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 5, is a fractional view partly in section of my improvement.

Fig. 6, is a cross section of line 66, of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7, is a cross section of line 77, of Fig/l, and illustrates an improved sound box connection with the tone arm, or adapter.

Fig. 8, is a plan view of the screw used in such connection.

Fig. 9, is a side elevation of said screw showing one of its flattened sides.

Similar reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawmgs.

The usual tone arm 1, maybe of any type and mounted upon the frame of the talking machine in the usual manner. Its free end is provided with a ball 2, which is received by the socket 3, of my improvement. The horizontal pivot pin 4, connects the ball and socket together, so that the sound box may may have a slight vertical oscillation. From the socket 3, extending horizontally and in a substantial alinement with the tone arm 1, is a short section of tube which is bent downwardly at an angle of about 60 degrees as at '5, and is provided with a horizontally bent elbow 6, from which elbow the tube extends in the circular form as at 7. The plane of the axis being substantially at a right angle to the axis of the part 5, the plane of this circular part 7, is inclined to the horizontal or to the plane of the record with which it is used at an angle of about 30 degrees. Fitted in the free end' of the circular part 7, is a telescopic circular tube part 8, terminating in a short straight end as 9, to which the sound box 10, may be attached. In order that the circular tube 8, may telescope within the tube 7, without bending or twisting, I provide the centering device whichconsists of the arm 11, rigidly secured to the circular tube 7, and a moving arm 12, secured to the straight portion 9, of the circular tube 8. These arms overlap each other at the common center of the two circular parts 7, and 8, and are provided with a central pivot screw 13, for connecting them together. Thus the two arms 11, and 12, with their centering screw 13, always accurately guide the telescopic action of the two circular tubes 7, and 8. In order, however, that the two parts may not separate I provide the arm 12, with the lateral extension 14, and bend the same down as shown in Fig. 6, so that when the circular tube 8, is in its extended position the projection 14;, will engage the side of the arm 11, and thus stop further rotation of the arm 12, upon the pivot screw 13. In this manner it will readily be seen that the circular tube 8, may telescope into the circular tube 7, without bending and without any twisting of the parts. When the tube 8, is in its innermost position, the edge of the arm 12, will strike against the outer end of the tube 7, so as to limit the inward movement of the circular tube 8.

The arrangement thus far described is such that the distance between the point of the needle 15, will, in the positions as shown in Figs. 1, and 3, respectively swing in the arc of the same circle about the pivot center of the tone arm 1. This is desirable for the reason that as described in the above named Catucci patent, in order that the needle of the sound box may properly track in the record groove. The parts must be adjusted so that the tone arm, swinging about its center. must carry the point of the needle in an are which passes through the center of the,

record disk. If the needle varies materially from this arc, then it is liable to jump out of the record groove and race across the face of the disk to the obvious injury of the record and certainly spoiling the rendition of the selection upon it. As hitherto pointed out it will be readily seen that the plane of the common axis of the two tubes 7, and 8, lying as it does at an angle of 30 degrees elevation from the plane of the record, the angle between the face of the record and the needle will always be the same, no matter in which position the sound box may stand and that angle will be, about 60 degrees from the plane of the record. This angle has been found to be the most efiective for clear and distinct reproduction.

In Figs. 7, 8, and 9, I have shown an improved method of securing the sound box to the end of the tone arm. It consists in providing the end of the tube 8, with an open slot 16. The thimble 17, of the sound box 10, is provided with a headed screw 18, such screw projecting through a slightly elongated slot 19, in the thimble 17. The screw 18, has its sides flattened as at 20, to fit such slot, so that when in position the screw 18., will not turn. The threaded end of the screw is provided with a thumb nut 21, which may be screwed down to the outer face of the thimble 17. When it is desired to place the sound box .upon the straight extension 9, it is slid over in the usual manner with the head of the screw 18, inside of the straight exten- 1,24e,eoe

sion 9 and the body of the screw passing into the slot 16. When the sound box is pushed home, then the nut 21, may be screwed down and thus the sound box will be .clamped firmly to the extension 9. The inner or upper face of the head of the screw 18, is spherical as at 22, so that it may bear upon the innerface of the extension 9, without distorting the same. I

I am aware of the fact, that it has been common to secure the sound box by means of a screw passing through the thimble such as 17, to'bear upon some part of the tone arm 1. This methodof fastening has the disadvantage that in time it distorts the end of the tubebecause of the firmness with which the" screw is turned. In the present case the clamping is firm, without any tendency to distortion or denting of the tube.

It will thus be seen that I have accomplished the object of my invention by means simple and efl'ective, and not liable to get out of order, even in the hands of the least experienced.

I claim:

1. In an adapter for sound boxes, the combination of a pair of tubes each bent into the arcof a circle, said tubes being hinged with one telescoping into the other, with means upon one of said tubes for securing a sound box thereto, means for connecting the other tube to the tone arm of a talking machine and means carried by the hinge for limiting the telescopic action of said tubes.

2. In an adapter for sound boxes, the combination of a pair of hinged telescoping tubes each bent into the arc of a circle, a sound box secured to one ofsaid tubes, means for connecting the other tube to the free end of a talking machine tone arm for slight vertical oscillation and means carried by the hinge for limiting the telescopic action of the tubes.

3. In an adapter for sound boxes, the combination of a pair of telescopingtubes each bent into the arc of a circle, a hinged centering device connected respectively to each of said tubes for guiding the one into the other, means for connecting one of said tubes to a talking machine tone arm for slight vertical oscillation and means carried by the hinge for limiting the telescopic movement of the-tubes.

4.. In a sound box adapter, the combina-. tion of a' pair of telescoping tubes each bent into the arc of a circle, means for connecting one of said tubes to a talking machine tone arm, for slight vertical oscillation, with the plane of the-common axis of said tubes at a substantial angle to a horizontal plane.

5. In a sound box adapter for talking machines the combination with the tone arm, of a tubular member secured to the free end of said tone arm for slight vertical oscillation, said member extending for a short distance in alinement with said tone arm and then bent at a downwardly inclined angle, then bent at substantially a right angle, and the free end curved into the arc 6. In a sound box adapter for talking machines, the combination of a pair of tubes each bent into the arc ot a circle, with one telescoping into the other, means for securing a sound box to one of said tubes and means for securing the other tube to the free end of a talking machine tonearm, with the plane of the common axis of said tubes at an angle of about 30 degrees from the horizontal,

7 In a sound box adapter for talln'ng machines, the combination of a sound box and a tone arm, with means connecting the same comprising a pair of hinged telescoping are shaped tubes, one of which is provided with an angular extension for connection with the tone arm whereby the other tube may be extended to bring the diaphragm of said sound box into a vertical plane, or telescoped into the first named tube to bring said diaphragm to an angle of about 60 degrees from the-horizontal and means carried by the hinge for limiting the telescopic movement of said tubes.

8. In a sound box adapter for talking machines, the combination of a pair of are shaped telescoping tubes, an arm extending from the side of each of said tubes respectively to the common center of their curvature, a centering screw connecting said arms at said center, anda stop upon one of said arms for engaging the other arm for limiting the telescoping action of said tubes.

ANTHONY VASSELLI. 

